The Hunter's Pursuit

52. A Foolish Move

    Jacob set Viviane on the floor beside his bunk, still not speaking. He waited patiently while she shifted back into her Human form and grabbed her clothes which had been left on the mattress. Viviane pried her fingers away from the spear, then began dressing herself.

    Jacob's gaze fell to the spear and his heart stuttered. He'd recognized it the moment he saw it in Viviane's hand, but now, seeing it up close... He stooped and grabbed the weapon. The wooden staff was saturated with moisture and his fingers left visible indentions where he gripped it.

    The spear wouldn't last long once dried. It would turn brittle and snap at the lightest touch. But surprisingly, the spearhead looked to be in better condition. Jacob touched his fingers to the rusty, grime-coated blade. His father's initials were still there, engraved in the center of the spearhead. He traced the letters softly, hardly daring to breathe.

    Viviane rose, redirecting his attention. "It was still lodged in the skull of Ryujin's mate," she explained. "I needed it for the rope and to break off the piece of jawbone I brought with me."

    Jacob bowed his head. "I still can't believe I actually killed it. I spent so long believing that I failed."

    "You didn't."

    He swallowed hard and took a minute to clear his throat before continuing. "Are the eggs secure?"

    "They are, and Ryujin understands our message. I made sure of it." Jacob arched a brow. A cold sliver of fear cut through Viviane's foamy sea green gaze. "We spoke to each other. She promised to kill us both."

    "Well, that's nothing new."

    Viviane squeezed her eyes closed with a rough shiver. "No, but it's one thing to know that an ancient and powerful beast wants to kill you and another to hear it in their own voice. I've spoken to hundreds of creatures, but none sounded like her. None have ever truly frightened me."

    Jacob set the spear on his bed and stepped closer to Viviane, running his hands up and down her arms soothingly. "We're not going to give her the chance to harm us or anyone else ever again." Viviane shivered again, but drew a deep breath and nodded. "Let's get updeck. They're going to need our help once we near the Devil's Maelstrom."

    "You think Captain Hugo will attack even when he sees Ryujin following us?" Viviane took his offered hand and they mounted the stairs.

    "Yes. If he wants the reward as badly as Caspian says he does, I think Ryujin following us will be the very reason he attacks."

    The sky was still gloomy with clouds when they reached the deck. A few scattered drops of rain fell, but Ryujin appeared to be holding her storm at bay. At least, for now. Jacob kept his eyes fixed on the helm and didn't look beyond it at the monster that trailed them through the sea. They joined Caspian and Westley at the ship's wheel.

    "I've got Jesp watching Hugo," the former reported. "He's not to divert his attention for any reason. Caleb has the crew divided between duties. Half of them have our guns aimed at Ryujin and the other half are taking care of repairs and preparations for our run-in with Malcolm."

    "You know, one would think that the Pirate Lords wouldn't dare to attack you seeing as you're their King, and yet we've been attacked and hunted incessantly since starting out," Viviane scoffed. The note of humor in her voice was a relief to Jacob. He squeezed her hand, laughing quietly. "Are you the problem or is this just something every Pirate King deals with?"

    Caspian rolled his eyes with a grimace. "I suppose I'm the problem. Kieran and Mallory have been trying to kill me since I first became a Pirate Lord, and Malcolm tries to kill me whenever he thinks he might get something out of it. Scarlet and Kalifa are the only ones who had simply threatened to kill me without actually attempting to."